The commercial vegetable crop known as celery is based primarily on the enlarged, succulent petioles of Apium graveolens. Although some minor economic value is associated with the leaves and seed of celery, the principle product utilized by the consumer is the petiole stalk. Pascal celery has been domesticated from a wild progenitor to bear at maturity a large number of fleshy, tender, green petioles. These are consumed, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, either as a fresh product, or indirectly in prepared foods such as condensed soups, and dehydrated soup and rice products. Recent consumer interest in having healthful, minimally processed fresh vegetables has given rise to a new category of products which have long shelf-life, but which retain the characteristics of fresh vegetables without additive or extensive processing which may otherwise alter the vegetable characteristics. Such items are being made available under the name "VegiSnax". Among such items are carrot and celery sticks which are precut into 3 inch (7.6 cm) lengths convenient for packaging, and packed according to methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,711,789, and 4,751,094. The contents of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.